This one is definitely mine. I LOVE the Survival Horror genre, lately, there hasn't been enough ideas for REAL Survival Horror. What I mean is this, they've been lacking the Survival aspect of Survival Horror. Limited ammunition, trying to just survive without being able to get their hands on weapons very often, etc... And there hasn't been much of a scare in games nowadays. Perhaps in Siren games, however, I feel Survival Horror is being abandoned somewhat slowly and being replaced with the idea of action and such.

By the way, does there HAVE to be combat in the game? I know that may sound weird, however, some horror games lack actual combat.

By the way, does there HAVE to be combat in the game? I know that may sound weird, however, some horror games lack actual combat.

Quote:

For the next challenge, the task is as simple as coming up with a horror game that doesn't rely on the tropes established by the Resident Evil series -- principally combat, but we'll let your imaginations run wild.

I'm assuming that means a game that doesn't rely on combat as the primary mechanic is preferable, but we can do whatever. So yeah, as far as I can tell, we don't need combat.

This one was really interesting, I think the idea that horror in games is about some massive over the top supernatural force of evil is a little OTT. So much could be made of real suspense, a more personal experience.

I think so far my idea is purely a story in my mind but is something like this:

Our hero has vivid dreams every night but recently his dreams have felt a little too real. In fact to call them dreams at all is incorrect as they are much more like nightmares. However, these are not nightmares about monsters or unknown evils, night after night he lives the last moments of peoples lives, unless that is, he can save them. Whether he is trying to escape a burning building, being mugged by a deranged drug addict or fighting a war in another country, every night sleep brings him closer to those everyday terrors we choose to ingore.

The game would probably reveal some sort of link between the deaths and the hero, it would no doubt have some sort of investigative and action based challenges.

The main focus is the gameplay itself which will be a borad stroke of different gameplay types, from leading people out of disaster zones to driving in a police chase. This means there will be other factors included, so if he dreams of being an overweight middle aged man he may move slower but might have other talents to use it to his advantage.

This one was really interesting, I think the idea that horror in games is about some massive over the top supernatural force of evil is a little OTT. So much could be made of real suspense, a more personal experience.

I think so far my idea is purely a story in my mind but is something like this:

Our hero has vivid dreams every night but recently his dreams have felt a little too real. In fact to call them dreams at all is incorrect as they are much more like nightmares. However, these are not nightmares about monsters or unknown evils, night after night he lives the last moments of peoples lives, unless that is, he can save them. Whether he is trying to escape a burning building, being mugged by a deranged drug addict or fighting a war in another country, every night sleep brings him closer to those everyday terrors we choose to ingore.

The game would probably reveal some sort of link between the deaths and the hero, it would no doubt have some sort of investigative and action based challenges.

The main focus is the gameplay itself which will be a borad stroke of different gameplay types, from leading people out of disaster zones to driving in a police chase. This means there will be other factors included, so if he dreams of being an overweight middle aged man he may move slower but might have other talents to use it to his advantage.

Its like 'quantum leap' but more scary.

This idea is by no means finished and needs fleshing out as it were.

I like this idea. It gives promise to what video games can do over other art forms, namely that ability to interact as different people and in your concept you can interact as multiple people. I just wanted to note a couple of things to help flesh out your idea, or at least what I can imagine being advantageous in considering.

Your concept is at its core a great way in dealing with death in video games. In the past Survival Horror games have used death in games as a redirect to an earlier checkpoint to allow the player to continue the game's story and mechanics. With your concept though, you can have death occur and have it seamlessly continue the story because the player character is not the one harmed. Also, there's more meaning to the choice on the player's psyche due to something (even if it's something as abstract as a secondary character) being lost at fault of the player.

Your game also allows for interesting narrative design in that the main mechanic of death can be exploited by the developers for dramatic effect. For example, all the nightmares seem convincingly conquerable, the end goal is clear and present and with the right amount of skill the goal can be achieved. The precedent is established throughout the majority of the game. Where the developers can cheat in breaking that rule, by making the player's decisions meaningless for a split second. Even if the player succeeds in the game's objectives, a game character can be forced to die. In this instance themes of death's finality, and the futility of opposing "fate" can definitely be explored.

All these things considered, your focus on variance of the game's mechanics is already a solid concept. I'll be interested in how your design is iterated upon.